Ohhhh, I’m surround by chaos
Pastel dust settles in my lungs
There are rocks on the floor
Tiptoe ‘round the lenses
Inspiration’s casualties
My soul’s unrelenting clutter
The novel grows letter by letter
So slow, so very slow
I nourish it, give it love
One day I’ll hold her in my hand
I’ll give myself a year or two, maybe four
My list is longer than the man with the red coat’s
And my children, bless their sweet, sticky souls
They dance down hallways
Whelp like puppies
Feed me! Walk me! Toss me the ball!
Sometimes I drop everything
Forget the homemaker’s responsibilities
Fly down slides
Two giddy babes at my side
Overwhelm constrains me
When I play the game someone else taught me
Do this, do that
Be neat, be tidy
Organization
Rebuke procrastination
So sometimes I drown
The comparisons are so loud
Who am I really?
Why the unconventional road?
Then a keyboard’s clicking symphony
A twinkling gem in morning light
A giggle from down the hall
I’m reminded the beauty of an artist’s flow
And the chaos that fuels me
16 Comments
Pooja G
August 24, 2023 at 8:34 amFor whatever reason, chaos seems to tag along with art of any kind. And it’s not always a bad thing haha!
Ana Daksina
August 24, 2023 at 11:34 amWell said. I’ve spent a lifetime wondering why, in my active artistic phases, serious trouble seems to dog my every footstep ~ in my fallow years, not so much. Shadows following the light, I think.
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 2:29 pmWonderfully put and an observation I can relate to. Thank you for your thoughts, Ana!
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 2:25 pmThat does seem to be the case, doesn’t it? Haha! I’m starting to not mind so much and am trying to embrace it. I think you’re right—it doesn’t have to be a bad thing!
Ana Daksina
August 30, 2023 at 2:46 pmOh, I’m about ready for it to stop. Everything in balance. Enough is enough. I could write for seven lifetimes on this amount of conflict.
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 2:48 pmWell in that case, I do wish you a more peaceful chapter of life ahead! ♡
Ana Daksina
August 30, 2023 at 3:29 pmTHANK you! 🤗
Pooja G
August 30, 2023 at 5:01 pmExactly, use it to your advantage!
willedare
August 24, 2023 at 8:50 amI agree. Some of us like/need to have piles of projects-in-process on our desks and shelves…
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 2:33 pmThere’s always a project to turn to when inspiration stalls on the current one…that’s my kind of workflow!
Michele Lee
August 24, 2023 at 8:04 pmYou’ve transformed chaos into beautiful artistry and an understanding of the time and patience required to create that art. This poem is gorgeous! Would be a good one to return to from time to time as you continue to make progress. ✨
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 2:44 pmA few days ago I sat with family and felt a little down after hearing about their “grownup jobs” (I’m super proud of them and excited alongside them! But I do sometimes leave those conversations feeling a bit behind in my own life.) I read your comment that night and did return to this poem, and let it all soak in again. Thank you for your kind words! (And unknowingly reminding me why I do what I do.) 🤍
Bridgette
August 28, 2023 at 5:12 pmReally gorgeous writing here and I can relate to all of it. My kids are older now and I’m making more progress with my book, but everything I do is always so slow and always includes a bit of chaos. I get jazzed about a project, go all in, and then something else calls to me. Repeat. 🙂
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 2:31 pmOhhh I know that “all in, then pivot” routine well! 😅 Took me years to *begin* to become friends with that part of myself. Thank you for sharing your experience! Here’s to those endless works-in-progress—we’ve got this! 😁
Tom
August 30, 2023 at 3:18 pmYou captured that artful chaos perfectly – trying to juggle so many spinning plates with artistic / family / homeowner responsibilities tugging every which way. 🙂 It’s so easy to succumb to imposter anxiety when comparing with close relatives who aren’t artists – could definitely relate to your journey here! <3
Samantha Burgett
August 30, 2023 at 9:22 pmVery well put Tom, and something I’d like to remember in the future! We’re all built a bit differently with different curiosities—it wouldn’t make sense for me to compare myself to someone who doesn’t operate like I do. Better to be appreciative of all the different types out there in this world, and that I get to be me (and you get to be you). Thank you for sharing your thoughts and encouragements! Have a lovely week!